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Over 3,000 Cultists Submit Arms To Clergy in Rivers

Over 3,000 youths from Go­kana local government area
of Rivers State at the weekend submitted their arms to a renowned
catholic priest, Rev Fr Abel Abulu, of St Patrick Catholic, Bodo
community in the area.

The youths who came out en­masse to denounce cultism
also surrendered different kinds of guns and other weapons were touched
by the efforts of the clergyman and Gokana Peace Ambassadors in
re­storing peace in the area.

The cultists had on different occasions refused to submit their arms
to the amnesty committee set up the state government, feigning that they
do not have guns.

Their acceptance to the plea to repent was achieved through the
intervention of Gokana Peace Ambassadors and clergymen in the area who
went into the creeks to preach peace to the cultists.

One of the repentant cultists who spoke to newsmen, Denbesi Isaac,
said they decided to lay down their arms because they were tired of
living in hiding in their own land.

Isaac called on the state govern­ment to join efforts with the
Chris­tian community and the Gokana Peace Ambassadors to ensure
ad­equate empowerment for the re­pentant cultists.

He noted that if the boys were integrated into the state amnesty
programme, it would help change their minds from going back to their
former lives.

Isaac assured that he and his group would never return to their former lives of cultism for the sake of peace and development.

Meanwhile, the President of Gokana Peace Ambassadors, Kpa­kol
Aleema-Kpakol, said the group decided to embark on peace cam­paign
following the wide spread of violence which has claimed the lives of
several innocent souls in the area.

Aleema-Kpakol, who spoke alongside his Secretary, Tomei Barikpe
Vycent, commended Fr Abel for his effort in ensuring the security of
Gokana people.

He stressed the need for the State Government to inherit the repen­tant cultist for the sake of peace and development in Gokana.

Over 3,000 Cultists Submit Arms To Clergy in Rivers
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March 06, 2017
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